


The Layover ✈

by NinaBallerina



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28560645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinaBallerina/pseuds/NinaBallerina
Summary: During a layover in Havana, Wynonna and Waverly make a pact with unexpected consequences.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 22
Kudos: 147





	1. The Crew

Waverly checked her watch. It was already twenty minutes past check-in time and Wynonna was nowhere in sight. She organized a sleeve of paper cups and a stack of newspapers among the array of catering supplies left carelessly on the galley counter. She checked her watch again. “Dammit, Wynonna.” 

Boarding would commence in ten minutes. Waverly now felt justified for having already printed the paperwork that her sister would need for the flight, considering Wynonna was the Purser. She glanced at the flight crew list, and gasped. “Oh man, Wy is _not_ going to like this.”

Not a moment too soon, the sound of Wynonna’s heels could be heard getting louder and louder as she ran down the bridge toward the aircraft. She dragged her luggage through the door’s threshold and immediately plopped down onto a business class seat to catch her breath. Her wild, long brown hair was barely tamed in a messy bun.

“Make yourself at home, why don’t you?” Waverly was annoyed at her sister’s constant disregard for airline policy. Or perhaps her disregard for policies in general.

“You’ll never believe who I just passed in the terminal,” Wynonna said before chugging a bottle of water intended for a passenger.

“Who?” Waverly feigned interest as she began loading casseroles into the oven.

I saw _him_ ,” Wynonna accentuated.

Waverly was ready to tune out. “Like, capital _H-i-m_?”

“No, like capital H-e-n-r-y!” Wynonna grabbed a second pillow for her back, “I saw him in line at _Starbucks_. He tipped his stupid pilot’s cap and winked at me. I immediately freaked, jumped out of line, and then ran all the way here.”

Waverly nodded. She just knew her sister would not have made the time to even look at the crew list. She opened her satchel to retrieve the paperwork “I think you need to look at the —“

“Time?” Wynonna incorrectly finished Waverly’s sentence. “Relax. We still have two minutes before boarding; we’re fine.” She pulled out the footrest and slumped further into the cushy seat. “Ugh, it’s just been so awkward since the breakup. I have a feeling he’ll want to rehash everything.”

Waverly was ready to bask in her sister’s ill-preparedness. “Well, he just might, considering he’s on our f—“

“Phone plan?” Wynonna misspoke again. “He’s not. Anymore. I mean, I know it made for a cheaper contract when I signed on, but, I took him off it almost immediately. Jesus, Waves. I don’t even know why you even think about stuff like that.” She turned on the seat massager. It hummed.

Waverley handed Wynonna the printed paperwork. “Our captain today. He is going to be—"

“Late!” Wynonna checked her watch. “Our pilots had better get here soon, or this is going to cut into our layover.” She stowed the footrest. “I can’t afford to get even less sleep; I already missed out on getting my coffee.”

Seemingly on cue, the flight crew walked through the boarding door. “We’ve got a Grande Frappaccino, for one Miss Wynonna Earp,” said the pilot with four yellow stripes in his southern drawl, “and one peppermint tea for Miss Waverly Earp.”

Wynonna shot up out of her seat.

“Why, thank you, Henry! How thoughtful.” Waverly was not the least bit surprised to see him. “Or, should I say, ‘Captain Holliday?’” She warmed her hands against the paper cup.

“No need for formalities here,” Henry assured. “We’re all friends, aren’t we?” He handed Wynonna her drink.

She stared back at him stunned.

Henry gestured to the pilot beside him. “This here is First Officer Haught. She’ll be at the controls today.”

The pilot removed her black cap as she greeted them warmly. Her red hair was perfectly coiffed. “Hi, I'm Nicole. Nice to meet you both.”

Waverly had always admired female pilots. As she stood there shaking Nicole's hand, she felt exceptionally enchanted. She watched as the flight crew made their way into the flight deck and knew she had been caught staring a bit too long when Nicole looked back and their eyes met again. The first officer smiled broadly as she pulled the last of her luggage in with her.

“What's the matter with you?!” Wynonna slapped her sister's elbow. “Why didn't you tell me that Henry would be operating our flight today?? Ugh, you could have said something, Waves.” Wynonna stormed off, slamming her luggage in the closet.

Waverly sighed. She readjusted the passenger seat that Wynonna vacated. She looked back to make sure she was alone before taking a turn to sit in it herself. Enjoying the massager for a moment, she took a sip of tea and closed her eyes. “This actually does feel nice.”


	2. Boarding Flight 990

“Where am I going?” the passenger raised her boarding pass, upside-down, right under Waverly’s nose.

Waverly adjusted the boarding pass. “Let’s see. You’re seated in 23B, madam. Welcome aboard!”

The passenger appeared lost. “So, which way do I go?”

“Unless, you have a pilot’s license,” Wynonna chimed in, “it’s to your right, down the only aisle on this plane.”

“Oh, thank you!” the passenger said genuinely, rolling her bag over Wynonna’s foot as she passed.

“Sweet Jesus, give me strength,” Wynonna said under her breath. She followed the passenger down the aisle to accommodate baggage in the overhead bins.

In Business Class, a thirty-something in sky-high stilettos and designer jacket snapped her fingers at Waverly to get her attention. Waverly took a deep breath and exhaled any feeling of annoyance. She smiled politely as she approached the passenger.

“Yeah, hi” the passenger began, pushing a strand of her shiny black hair behind her ear, “I am not sure if you already went through, but, I haven’t received my pre-flight champagne yet.”

Waverly nodded, “I’d be happy to get that for you. I'll be right back with some sparkling wine.”

“Did you say _sparkling wine_?” the passenger asked.

“That’s right,” Waverly affirmed.

The passenger grimaced. “Nevermind, I’ll pass.”

Waverly nodded and waited until she was out of view before rolling her eyes.

Wynonna was making her way back to the front cabin and looked equally annoyed. “Did these people not learn basic shapes?? Fitting a suitcase overhead doesn’t have to be this hard.”

“Um, Stewardess?” another passenger called out. “Your bins are too small for my carry-on.”

“Oh, is _that_ the problem?” Wynonna muttered to herself as she left to handle the situation.

With a lull in boarding, Waverly grabbed two bottles of water from the canister, and waited in the doorway of the flight deck, so not to disturb the pilots during their preparations. Nicole had a thick manual on her lap as she called out items on a checklist for Henry to acknowledge. A momentary interruption from Air Traffic Control had Henry standing by. As he waited, he seemed lost in thought as he gazed out the side window.

Waverly knocked against the open door. “I hope I'm not interrupting.” She handed them each a bottle. “Would either of you like anything to drink besides water?”

Henry gestured to Nicole allowing her to respond first.

Nicole looked back at Waverly. Her hazel eyes seemed to take everything in. “That's so nice of you to offer. Just the water, thanks.”

Henry smiled. “The water on its own is just heavenly, Miss Waverly, thank you.” He adjusted his headpiece and spoke into his microphone, “Yes, CA990 still standing by.”

Nicole flipped a couple of switches overhead. “I take it you and Henry have flown together before?”

“Oh sure, we’ve done a lot more than just fly together,” Waverly replied genuinely as she leaned against the door.

Nicole raised her eyebrows and nodded.

“Oh!” Waverly realized her gaffe. “No, no, nothing like that! I’m not -- Henry and I would never – ”

“Are you trying to say that I’m not your type, Miss Waverly?!” Henry interrupted in a friendly tone as he winked.

Waverly smirked, “I don't know that we'd be all that compatible, Henry.”

A monotone voice over the cockpit speaker interrupted, “Canadian Airways 990, line up 32 alpha 10. Unfortunately, we could not get you an earlier slot. Hope we didn't just break your heart too.”

Henry chuckled. “Copy that, CA990 to line up 32 alpha 10. While I appreciate the sympathy, Ground, you wouldn't be the first one this here plane to break my heart.”

“It's not you, 990. It's me,” the monotone voice on the other end retorted. “Have a safe flight and good afternoon.”

The laughter in the flight deck was quickly interrupted by jarring scream from the cabin. Waverly rushed to investigate.

Wynonna had her back to the flight deck and stood with her arms crossed, facing the passengers in the front of the cabin.

“What the hell was that?!” Waverly was ready to spring into action.

Wynonna appeared stoic as she looked on. “Naw, don’t worry, Waves. What you just heard were the soothing cries of an EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GOAT!”

“I beg your pardon?” Waverly asked dumbfounded as she looked toward the cabin.

“YEP! That’s where we’re at, Waves!” Wynonna said exasperated. “The only thing that can adequately reassure the lady in 2F are the piercing cries of a barnyard-fucking-goat.”

“Alrighty then,” Waverly said to herself, “I'll add one more to the manifest.” She handed the paperwork to Henry. “We’ve got nine up front and eighty-eight in the back. Two infants, one cat, one goat – ”

“And a partridge in a pear tree,” Wynonna budded in. “We're ready to rock.” She gave a thumbs-up to the ground agent who closed the cabin door for departure.


	3. The Pact

Waverly looked out the tiny window beside her jumpseat. This was the most peaceful time of flight; the calm before a storm of passenger demands and inflight frenzy. She gazed upon the patchwork of farmland below. The scene became all too real when she heard the emotional support goat start up again. She stretched her neck from the confines of her shoulder harness to see how Wynonna was handling all the commotion in the front cabin. From where Waverly sat, behind the forty-some rows of passenger seats, all she could see was Wynonna's cross-legged foot bouncing up and down agitatedly, which was something she only ever did when she was annoyed as hell. Waverley picked up the interphone to check in with her sister.

Wynonna answered the interphone on the first chime. “Hi, you've reached my worst nightmare, how can I help you?”

“Is the noise really bad up there?” Waverly could only imagine how jarring the constant screaming would be in that cabin.

“Noise?” Wynonna questioned. “Oh. Yeah, no… I am so over the goat at this point. I'm talking about Henry. I am seriously contemplating a hideout in between the business class curtains for the next three and a half hours. I just can’t say for sure if the Velcro will hold.”

Waverly sighed. “This was bound to happen sooner or later, Wynonna. I honestly think you need to face this head on.”

“But, Henry is complicated,” Wynonna groaned. “Also, I hate feeling... things.”

“Henry is nice and sweet, and I honestly still don’t get why you ended it,” Waverly twirled the phone cord around her fingers. “You've got unresolved business here. You need to explore it, or else you might just regret it for the rest of your life. Remember what Aunt Gus always says?”

"The squeaky mouse gets the cheese?" Wynonna guessed.

“What? No, that's not a thing anyone says.” Waverly softened her tone, “She’d say: ‘ _I only regret the things I haven’t done, not the things I have_.’”

“Yeah, well, Aunt Gus is a hallowed saint who has nothing to regret anyway,” Wynonna countered. “And who are you to talk? You could benefit from her advice just as much as I could.”

Waverly shifted in her seat. “What are you talking about? I live a regret-free life, thank you very much.”

“Uh, no, you live a dull, _risk_ -free life and hold back more than the seatbelt strapping you in right now,” Wynonna countered. “If your last relationship with Champ were a chapter in your biography, it would be titled _The Romance That Sex Forgot.”_

“Wynonna!” Waverly immediately tried to compose herself as the last row of passengers looked back. Her breakup with Champ was a sore spot and Wynonna knew it. He was the last guy she dated. She was not about to rehash this over the interphone. “This isn’t about me. This is about you needing closure with Henry. You obviously still care about him and you need to figure out if that means enough to you. You need to put yourself out there.”

“Whatever!” Wynonna dismissed. “And who are you to spew advice that _you_ don't even follow?”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “If you want to hide behind curtains your whole life, Wynonna, go right ahead.”

There was silence on the end of the line. Waverly bit her tongue; her backtalk rarely boded well.

Wynonna sighed, “You're right.”

Waverly sat up straighter in her seat. It was seldom she heard Wynonna concede an argument. 

“I need to work on opening to people as much as you need to work on stepping out of your comfort zone.”

“What's wrong with my comfort zone?” Waverly could hardly believe that Wynonna was still trying to make this about her.

“It's all routine!” Wynonna answered readily. “You have gotten so good at your job, that you've even mastered mine.”

Waverly felt defensive. “The only reason this plane left remotely on time today was because I did all the groundwork for you. I’m not even the purser!”

“That’s right, you’re not!” Wynonna snapped back. “You were too afraid of failing the purser course that you played it safe and stuck to what you knew.”

Waverly pulled the phone piece away from her ear. She hated to admit that Wynonna had a point. She was a perfectionist and after years of flying, she had her routine down to a fine art. The idea of starting from bottom of the totem pole as a purser was overwhelming. She spoke into the phone, “Okay, so we both have stuff to work through. Now what?”

“I have an idea.” Wynonna sounded oddly optimistic.

“I’m not dressing up as you again,” Waverly was adamant about this.

“No, no, hear me out,” Wynonna cleared her throat, “We’ll make a pact; over the duration of our layover, I have to work things out with Henry, one way or another. If I don’t,” Wynonna paused, “I will willingly step down as a purser.”

“Seriously?” Waverly was surprised.

“Dead serious,” Wynonna affirmed. “But, I need someone to hold me accountable, so, here’s the catch: over the next 48 hours, you will need to put yourself out there and get laid by at least one hot _cubanita_.”

Waverly buried her head in her hand. “Yeah, that is soooo not happening.”

“Hold up,” Wynonna interjected, “because if you don’t, you will have to put your name in for the next purser training course the moment we land back in YYZ.”

Waverly hesitated. “Can you remind me to stop requesting flights with you? This was supposed to be a relaxing layover.”

“Come on, Waves!” Wynonna pleaded “This will force me to talk to Henry and it’ll get you out of your painfully boring routine so you can take a risk and meet someone.”

“Yeah, okay... fine, “Waverly surrendered. “I feel like there are still a dozen better ways to spend this layover together. Can’t we just get matching goat tattoos instead?”

“No.” Wynonna stood her ground. “Well, maybe.”


	4. Jack & Coke

Waverly drew the Business Class curtain while balancing a full tray of empty glasses. “Can I get you anything?”

“Oh! Hey…” Nicole turned around, wearing a black cardigan over her collared shirt. “I was just about to make a pot of coffee.”

“It’s about that time, isn’t it?” Waverly placed the tray on the counter. She stowed the empty glasses while affectionately observing Nicole in her struggle to figure out the coffee maker. “You _do_ know how to brew coffee, right?”

“You could ask me anything about this plane right now,” Nicole smiled, “but, I’m going to level with you; I have _no_ clue how to get this contraption going. The pot doesn’t even fit in the holder.” She demonstrated.

Waverly walked past Nicole and pulled up a lever so that the coffee pot could now slide in over the burner. 

Nicole smiled bashfully, as she placed the coffee pot in place.

Waverly pressed a button and the machine began its brew. "In all fairness, this coffee maker isn’t all that intuitive.”

"Um, excuse me??" A passenger in a wrinkled suit ungracefully stumbled through the curtain towards Waverly. “It's been twenty minutes now, and I am still waiting for a Jack and Coke.”

Waverly had not served this passenger. Wynonna must have forgotten.

"I'm sorry about that, Sir," Waverly apologized. "Where are you sitting?"

"No, no, no," the passenger protested. "I'm not waiting another twenty minutes. You're going to get that for me right now."

The closer he approached, the more Waverly realized how intoxicated he was. The responsible thing to do would be to cut him off and get him back to his seat. She remained calm and mentally steeled herself, knowing she would have to pull a pin in this grenade. “I’d happy to get the cola for you, sir, however, aviation regulations require that you wait on the other side of the curtain."

"What bullshit!" The man raved. Waverly saw passengers through the open curtain remove their earphones to observe the dispute. "If that were true,” the man continued, “then why the hell can _she_ be here?" he asked, gesturing to Nicole.

Nicole stood tall and faced the intoxicated passenger. She unzipped her cardigan to reveal the stripes on her shoulders. "Because I am flying the plane!" Her words were stern.

The passenger placed his hand on the galley counter to keep his balance. “Well, I don’t see you doing much out here. Maybe you can make yourself useful and help this young lady get my drink.”

Waverly froze in disbelief.

Nicole stepped towards the passenger, towering over his shorter stature. "I don't want you to mistake my calm tone for patience, because I can assure you, I am fresh out. You have exactly ten seconds to return quietly to your seat."

"Well, am I going to get my drink?" The passenger persisted.

"You might," Nicole began, "when we divert to Milwaukee and have you deplaned and detained. But, I wouldn’t count on that drink, If I were you. You have three seconds."

The passenger pursed his lips. He lifted his hands in the air in surrender before making his way back to his seat.

Nicole closed the curtain. "You alright?"

"I'm impressed, is what I am," Waverly beamed. "Well done, First Officer Haught." 

Nicole fixed her tie. "He's not the first chauvinistic A-hole to give me flak. Unfortunately, he won't be the last."

A few turbulent bumps had Waverly holding onto the galley counter. "You're preaching to the choir here."

"I should probably be more concerned that he thinks I dress like this for fun," Nicole joked.

"Don't you?" Waverly bantered.

"Only when I want to skip a long airport line-up," Nicole winked.

As the plane began to bounce through some light chop, a hissing sound came from the coffee machine, as if to draw attention to its presence. The contents of the carafe spilled out onto the burner.

"Oh, your coffee!” Waverly had almost forgotten. She walked toward the trolley to retrieve a mug when the plane rolled unexpectedly, tossing Waverly square into Nicole’s arms.

“Hold on!” Nicole gripped the galley counter with one arm while holding onto Waverly in the other as the plane adjusted.

Oblivious to being jostled, Waverly was laser focused on every gorgeous feature on Nicole’s face; from the freckle on her left cheek, the natural curl in her eyelashes to the way her hazel eyes seemed to focus solely on her.

The aircraft found a better altitude. Nicole carefully loosened her protective grip and unfolded the jumpseat so Waverly could sit down. "I suppose the coffee will have to wait."

“I guess so,” Waverly agreed while feeling completely enamoured. Her heart racing.

The seatbelt sign illuminated with a chime.

“That’s my cue to get back to work,” Nicole said hesitantly before picking up the receiver.

The curtain opened swiftly as the stiletto-wearing passenger click-clacked her way into the galley.

“Oh, I am sorry, Ms.,” Waverly stood to block the passenger’s path, “We are passing through an area of turbulence, if you don’t mind taking your seat for the mo – “

“Were you not even going to come and say ‘Hi’??” the passenger accused Nicole, “I’m sitting beside a goat for God’s sake. I swear, this barnyard airline...”

“Oh, heyyyy!” Nicole put the receiver back in the cradle. She closed the curtain right before the passenger held Nicole’s face and kissed her square on the lips.

Waverly took a step back and practically fell into her jumpseat.

The passenger was in Nicole’s arms, just as she had been moments earlier.

Nicole moved back as if to remain professional. “I was about to make you a coffee before we started rocking and rolling.”

“You were going to make me airplane coffee? That’s sweet,” the passenger scrunched her nose, “but, mostly gross. I wouldn’t dare drink anything made with questionable tap water.”

Nicole nodded. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get whatever you want once Henry turns the seatbelt sign back off. Also, you’re in the best of hands with the Earp sisters; this is Waverly,” Nicole presented. “Waverly, this is my partner, Shae.”

“Fiancée, actually,” Shae corrected as she sized up Waverly.

Waverly felt completely caught off guard by how things were unfolding in front of her. She stood politely for pleasantries. “Very nice to meet you, Shae,” she said, hoping to sound believable.

Shae smiled politely and then wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, possessively. “Babe, can you get her to get me a Baileys?” Shae made a childish pouty-face, which was enough to suggest that, like everyone else in Business Class, she probably had enough to drink already.

“Waverly needs to be seated right now, and so should you,” Nicole glanced over at Waverly apologetically.

“I’ll get that for you, no problem,” Waverly forced a smile. “A coffee with Baileys; hold the coffee. Got it.”

Shae feigned laughter. A sudden jolt of turbulence nearly had her lose balance. “Alright, I’m going, I’m going. Get back up there and show Henry how it’s done, Babe.” Shae turned around staggered back to her seat.

Waverly drew the curtain once more as Nicole reached for the interphone.

“Hey, Henry, it’s me. I’m coming up.” Nicole pressed a few buttons on the keypad and waited for the door to unlock. She looked back at Waverly, as if she had something to say. Waverly looked back expectantly. Instead, Nicole just smiled softly and proceeded to the flight deck.

The door closed shut just as Wynonna dashed through the Business Class curtains. "Seriously though, who buys rum from the onboard Duty Free on their way to Havana?!” She paused. “Oh shit, I was supposed to get some guy a Jack and Coke. Ah well, I’m sure he’s fine."


	5. El Desembarque

A smooth landing brought the small Embraer 190 aircraft into Havana’s José Martí International Airport. Palm trees lined both sides of the runway as plane taxied in towards the gate.

The interphone rang. “Hi, Waverly at L2.”

“I need to piss.” Wynonna declared on the other end of the line.

“...Cool?” Waverly braced for whatever explanation might follow.

“I can't hold it anymore,” Wynonna continued, “I need you to disarm your door and come to the front in case we pull up to the gate while I'm in the whiz palace.”

Waverly followed orders and made her way to the front cabin. Sure enough, they were pulling onto the gate. She gave a thumbs up to the ground agent signaling that the door was safe to open. The humidity instantly made itself known as it entered the cabin.

“Good bye!... Thank you!… Have a great time!... Bye now!” Waverly said to the parade of passengers as they exited onto the airstairs.

Her attention was drawn to Shae as she meticulously collected her belongings; wrapping the cable of her noise-cancelling headphones, arranging her travel documents according to size and returning her Versace reading glasses to their case and before fitting them into her matching designer bag. On appearance alone, she seemed to have it going on. No wonder Nicole was into her.

Wynonna exited the lavatory just as Henry was also opening the door from the flight deck. The two doors collided as they met in the middle.

“My apologies,” Henry pulled his door inward to give Wynonna room to exit. “Ladies first.”

“Wow Henry, I think that’s the first time we both came at the same time!” Wynonna goaded.

Henry blushed under his pilot’s cap as he locked the open flight deck door against the wall.

The tension was palatable. Waverly spared Henry’s feelings by pretending she had not heard anything. She focused on the passengers. “Bye now! Thanks for flying with us! Enjoy your stay!”

As the line of thinned out. Wynonna ushered the last family of wary travellers off the plane. “Thanks for flying CanAir,” the passengers descended the stairs out of earshot, “and for leaving a buttload of Goldfish crackers mashed in our seat cushions. Jesus Christ.”

“Is it really messy back there?” Waverly asked as she stacked her luggage.

“I suppose I’ve seen worse,” Wynonna grabbed her crew bag from the closet. “The goat ate most of the floor garbage like a furry Roomba.”

Nicole stepped out of the flight deck and helped Shae with her many carry-on items while the rest of the crew waited on the tarmac.

“So, the princess in Business Class is Nicole’s girlfriend?” Wynonna asked Waverly.

"Fiancée,” Waverly clarified. “Her name is Shae.” She tried not to sound so deflated.

“Are you moving to Havana, Shae?” Wynonna called out, “‘Cause the rest of us are only here for a couple of days.”

Shae flung her purse over her shoulder, “I never check bags. I don't trust this airline enough not to lose them.”

Wynonna rolled her eyes.

Nicole grabbed the last large suitcase and dragged it down the stairs. “I just figured you wanted to see how much I can lift,” she said with a wink.

“Geez, get a room you two!” Wynonna heckled.

“That’s the plan” Shae linked her arm with Nicole’s.

“Oh. Right.” Wynonna grabbed her crew bag. “Then let's get the _Guagua_ outta here.”


	6. Midnight in Miramar

What should have been a thirty-minute drive had turned into an hour-long journey to Miramar. Everyone in the crew van had fallen asleep except for Waverly. She was glued to the window, admiring the old-fashioned cars that were straight out of the 1950s. There was a vibrancy to Cuba that she simply adored. It was nearly midnight, yet, there were still plenty of people milling about.

Nicole was fast asleep and began to lean so far that her head was now resting on Waverly’s shoulder. Waverly tried to get Shae’s attention, but she too had fallen asleep against the other window. Waverly sat very still. The fragrance of Nicole’s shampoo became the only thing she could think about.

As the vehicle pulled up to the hotel, the crank of the parking brake jolted everyone from their sleep.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!” Nicole apologized, sitting up straight. “I hope I didn’t drool on you.”

Wynonna pulled out her earbuds just in time to chime in. "You are talking to the Queen of Drool back there, Nicole. I wouldn’t worry about it."

"Wynonna!?" Waverly was immediately embarrassed. "I do not!"

"Not any more," Wynonna opened the sliding door to the van. "But, back when you had headgear, you used to drool like a bulldog.”

"Awww," Nicole gushed. "I love bulldogs.”

Waverly managed a grin through her abashment as she stepped out of the van.

Henry assisted the driver in retrieving the luggage from the trunk. Ready with their crew bags, Waverly and Wynonna entered the hotel to check-in.

The hotel was perfectly charming. What it lacked in prestige, however, it made up for in service. A young man dressed in a blue polo t-shirt, white shorts and white sneakers offered Wynonna a beautifully melded mint cocktail.

_“¿Quiere un mojito, señorita?”_

Wynonna responded in satisfactory ninth grade Spanish, _“¿Cómo se dice: 'abso-fucking-lutely'?”_ She grabbed the drink and wasted no time to savour it.

“Wynonna!” Waverly slapped her sister’s arm. “You’re not supposed to drink in uniform.”

“Stay in your lane, flight attendant,” Wynonna snapped back. “You can’t tell me what to do; you’re not a Purser yet.”

“Yeah, well, at this rate, you won’t be one for long,” Waverly countered.

Wynonna finished what was left of her drink. “Relax! No one here is going to rat me out.”

“Nevermind that.” Waverly removed the empty glass from her sister’s hand. “You had a perfectly long commute to engage Henry just now, but instead, you completely ignored him.” She placed the glass on a table near by. “You still want to go through with our pact? Or are you phoning it in?”

Wynonna looked back at the hotel's main entrance and watched Henry hold the door for a group of about two dozen Japanese tourists.

“I'll try harder,” Wynonna declared.

Waverly smiled and linked arms with her sister.

“How ‘bout you?” Wynonna asked as they made their way toward the front desk. “Any prospective hotties on our flight?”

Waverly casually looked in Nicole's direction. She was nothing short of dashing in her uniform. “Actually, yeah. Someone caught my eye.” Shae soon caught up to Nicole and began riffling through one of the many handbags that Nicole was carrying for her. “But, I don't think it's going to work out.”

“For real?” Wynonna sounded intrigued. “Where were they sitting?”

“CanAir 990?” the gentleman at the front desk unwittingly interrupted. He handed the crew two sign-in sheets. “This one for cabin crew and this one for pilots,” the gentleman explained in his best English.

Wynonna uncapped her pen. “Hold that thought, Waves.”

Henry offered the sign-in sheet to Nicole. Shae stood right behind, glancing at her phone.

Waverly attempted some pleasantries with Shae while she waited for her turn to sign in. “So, do you and Nicole have any plans for the layover?”

“One sec,” Shae held one finger in the air while her other hand was typing furiously on her phone.

“Shae’s here for a medical conference, actually.” Nicole answered as she turned around. “She’ll be here for five days. I requested this flight specifically so that we could both enjoy some time together.” Nicole turned to Shae. “Isn’t that right?”

Shae barely looked up from her phone, “Yeah, sure we can get room service. Whatever you want, Babe.”

Waverly pursed her lips.

“I signed you in,” Wynonna said handing Waverly a key card. “I told them you specifically wanted a room next to the loudest ice machine.”

Waverly laughed as she snatched the room key from her sister’s hand.

"Well ladies,” Henry tucked his cap under his arm, “If you have not already made plans for tomorrow, you are welcome to join me on a tour of the Partagás cigar factory. Otherwise, you are all cordially invited to dinner by the ocean, if you are so inclined.”

“We’ll join you for dinner, Henry,” Nicole responded. Shae half-nodded in agreement, still on her phone.

"I was hoping to have a quick swim in the morning,” Waverly began, “But _Wynonna_ was just saying how she hadn’t made _any_ plans for tomorrow." She threw her arm around her sister. “This is _a perfect opportunity_ for her to explore Havana! _”_ She looked Wynonna square in the eyes, “It’s been so long since your last visit, I wonder if you’ll feel differently… about Havana,” Waverly added, nearly abandoning all subtlety.

"Uh?” Wynonna glared back at Waverly with a look that could kill. “Yes! This is... perfect. Let us do those plans,” she said robotically.

Henry's eyes lit up. "Marvellous! I’ll make dinner reservations for five then." His attempt to contain his excitement was endearing. He covered his head with his hat. “ _Señoritas_ , I wish you all a pleasant night.” He turned to Wynonna, “And I'll see you at seven hundred hours.” He tipped his cap and made his way toward an open elevator before Wynonna could change her mind. 

"Wait!" Wynonna called out at him. "Like, in the morning??"

The elevator doors were already closing.

"Like, in the morning, Henry??!" Wynonna sounded desperate. He was gone.

"If you need to be down here in six hours,” Waverly looked down at her watch “you'd better get the hot water running now, because I know how long it takes you to shower."

Wynonna feigned laughter as they all followed the bellhop who pushed a luggage cart with Shae’s many bags toward the elevator.

_“¿Qué piso quisieran?”_ the bellhop asked before selecting a floor.

_“El octavo piso, por favor,”_ Waverly requested. The bellhop pressed the number eight.

"Your Spanish sounds impressive, Waverly.” Nicole complimented. “We could have used you in the flight deck when we were trying to navigate our way on the apron a couple of hours ago.”

Waverly smiled. “Thanks. I am a bit out of practice.”

"It sure sounds good to me. I have a layover in San José coming up at the end of the month,” Nicole began, “beyond asking where the library is, I don’t think I am going to get very far.”

Shae perked up. “Oh Babe, I thought we said you weren’t going to request those layovers anymore?”

“I’ve never been,” Waverly admitted. “Is it not safe there, or something?”

“I’m surprised you don’t already know. Apparently, there is always drama among the crew,” Shae explained. “Let’s just say that the flight attendants have a reputation of being a bit... loose.”

Waverly felt a surge of annoyance at the overly used stereotype.

“Pffft! You say that like you’ve never had an STD before.” Wynonna accused.

In the nick of time, the elevator doors opened to the eighth floor.

“Alright, good night, everyone!” Nicole said quietly as she and Shae followed the bellhop in the opposite direction down the hall. Waverly waved, feeling green with envy as she watched Shae reach for Nicole’s hand.

"This is me,” Wynonna stopped in her tracks, “where you at?”

“I’m right across,” Waverly pointed. “Sleep tight, Wy. Go easy on the rum.”

"No promises,” Wynonna retorted as she unlocked her door. “Night, Waves.”

Finally, in her room, Waverly locked the deadbolt and turned on the TV, making it the only light in the dark the room. As she removed her jacket, she felt her phone vibrate from the pocket. It was a text from Wynonna.

“ _Cafecito with me mañana?_ ”

Waverly exhaled. She knew that Wynonna struggled getting out of bed before noon.

_“Yeah, ok… you’d better be on time.”_

Waverly looked around the room. Normally, she would feel excitement at the beginning of a layover. In the moment, she simply conflicted about her infatuation with Nicole. She actually found herself identifying with the characters in whichever telenovela that happened to be airing on her TV. 


	7. Cafecito

“You’re late,” Waverly accused.

Wynonna showed up to the poolside café at 6:50am wearing ripped jeans, a white t-shirt and aviator sunglasses; a look on her that was, somehow, effortlessly fashionable on her.

Wynonna pulled out a chair. "Now, please tell me you ordered a –”

Right on cue, a server dropped off two coffees and a small plate of _pastelitos_.

“Oh, thank _Dios_!,” Wynonna hailed. “Black gold, come to mama," she took a sip of coffee and chased it with an ineloquent bite of flakey pastry.

Waverly sipped her espresso slowly. “You didn’t wake me up this early in the morning so that I can watch you stuff your face, did you?”

“Not entirely, no,” Wynonna said with her mouth full. “You were going to tell me about the passenger you were crushing on during the flight yesterday,” she swallowed.

Waverly shook her head in hesitation. If she could tell anyone, it was her older sister, right? She took a deep breath. “It was N–”

“Nicole!” Wynonna shouted waving her arms.

Waverly froze.

“Nicole!” Wynonna shouted again. She stood up and waved emphatically. 

Waverly looked over her shoulder with equal parts of shock and relief when she saw Nicole in the distance. She was headed their way.

“ _Buenos días_ , ladies!” Nicole said cheerfully, touching Waverly’s shoulder. Waverly could feel her own heartbeat.

_“Bonjour!”_ Wynonna pulled out a chair. “Care for a pastry?”

Nicole paused “I’m not interrupting, am I?”

Wynonna cleared a spot at the table. “No, you’re just in time. Waverly is about to spill on a prospective lover she met in flight yesterday."

Waverly’s guard was up and she blushed. “I really wasn’t. There is no one. ‘Nobody’ was what I was about to say.”

Wynonna threw her arms up in the air. “All that build up for ‘ _Nobody’?_ Come on, Waves! Even for you, that’s lame.” She elbowed Nicole. “You obviously have good taste in attractive women; can you keep your eyes peeled and help a sister out? Specifically, my sister. And, perhaps a lady with a little less baggage. I mean that in its most literal sense.”

“You’re into ladies, Waverly?” Nicole perked up. “I had no idea. I can usually pick up on that sort of thing.”

Wynonna wiped the crumbs from her place setting. “She’s non-practicing, so, that probably threw your gaydar.”

Waverly kicked her sister from under the table.

“OW!... Jesus.” Wynonna rubbed her shin. “Where’s the wifey anyway?”

“Fiancée.” Nicole corrected. “I just saw her off in a taxi; she had an early start registering for the conference this morning.”

“What time is it?” Wynonna asked instead.

Waverly checked her watch. “Five to seven.”

“I’ve gotta go find Henry.” She got up from her seat and turned to Nicole. “I'm counting on you to find a hot little Cuban number for my sister.”

“Wynonna!” Waverly scolded. Her sister was well out of kicking range. Wynonna looked back and waved from afar. Waverly looked back at Nicole, flustered. “You don't… you don't have to do any of that.”

“I get it,” Nicole nodded, “women are complex.”

“Yeah,” Waverly said shyly. “Or so I am told.”

Nicole’s eyes widened as she pieced all the information together. “OH! You haven't actually been with a –”

Waverly shook her head. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having with Nicole. “I mean, I’ve had serious relationships before. Just not with women.”

“And why haven’t you?” Nicole gave her undivided attention.

Waverly looked into Nicole’s soft eyes. “I suppose I had only ever dated guys before cluing into why I always felt so indifferent about my relationships with them. But, now, I have a hard time reading women, you know? The signs were much more clear cut with men.”

“It’s easy. It’s all in the eye contact.” Nicole leaned forward.

“People look at me all the time,” Waverly admitted. “Well, it’s more of a blank stare as I demonstrate how to buckle a seat belt.”

Nicole laughed. “No this is different. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but you’ll know it when you feel it.”

Waverly took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know... that kind of loss of control would just drive me crazy.”

“Losing control is kinda the point,” Nicole smiled. “But, know that when you find yourself in a loving relationship, that control will always be given back.”

Waverly nodded. “You are lucky to have found that with Shae. How did you meet?” she asked, hoping to keep her jealousy in check.

Nicole’s expression shifted and appeared somewhat dejected. “We met a year ago, nearly to the day. She was hanging off a cliff when I first saw her.” Nicole brushed off the sugar from her fingers. “We were on a rock-climbing excursion and it was her first climb. She didn’t realize she was afraid of heights until she was near the top. She began to panic. I was the closest climber to her and was able to talk her down. She was so grateful to have her feet touch the ground again that she insisted to take me out to dinner. The rest is history.”

“That's really sweet.” Waverly said.

Nicole leaned back in her chair and stared into her empty coffee cup. “I used to find satisfaction in being able to talk her down… anyway,” Nicole cleared her throat. “I’m sure you won’t have to climb a mountain to find the girl of your dreams.”

Waverly nodded. Certainly, there was more to the story than Nicole led on.

“Alright,” Nicole abruptly stood from her seat, “I’m going to hit the gym, but I’ll catch you for dinner, right?”

“Right, yeah.” Waverly wished she had come up with anything better to say that would have Nicole stay.

Her abrupt exit had Waverly’s mind spinning out with how to interpret the status of Nicole and Shae’s engagement. It all felt so enigmatic.


	8. Havana Breeze

Waverly smoothed down her little black dress as she followed the Tiki lined walkway towards the outdoor dining area of the rooftop patio. The view looked over the swimming pool and gave way to a more impressive view of the ocean.

Waverly’s thoughts were a jumble as she, Wynonna and Henry followed the host to the dining area, but one thought seemed to conquer all others; she could not wait to see Nicole again. As they approached their table, she could hear Shae.

“It’s too windy to be outside,” Shae complained to the host. “Everything on our plates will blow right into the sea, for Pete’s sake!”

The host nodded and smiled and, luckily, did not speak a word of English.

Nicole gently guided Shae back to the table and tried to calm her down. Waverly stood utterly mesmerized by the way Nicole's hair fluttered in the Havana breeze. She gazed adoringly as Nicole laughed at one of Henry’s quips.

Nicole caught Waverly’s gaze and smiled with dimples that made her swoon. The moment was interrupted when Waverly felt her phone vibrate.

**Wynonna: 😍**

**Waverly: ??**

**Wynonna: That’s how u look like right now. Whatup wit u & Haught?? **

Waverly looked up from her phone and back at her sister and shook her head.

**Waverly: Do you know how expensive these texts are?! Tell you later.**

Waverly decided to be more careful not to wear her emotions on her sleeve. Meanwhile, Shae was unsuccessful in getting a table indoors that could accommodate their group. By the look on her face, she was not happy about it.

“After a couple fingers of rum, I you will not even notice the breeze!” Henry said optimistically. “The first round is on me.”

“Awww, thanks Henry!” Waverly pulled out her chair with the rest of the crew.

Shae refused to take her seat. “I don’t know why I even bothered to do my hair this evening.”

Nicole gave Shae a disapproving look “Shae, please sit. We can’t control everything, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

As the tension between the couple bubbled to the surface, Waverly was getting a feel for what Nicole was so reluctant to disclose earlier that morning. In Shae’s defence, she did have perfect hair that evening. It was pinned in an effortless French twist, revealing her sparkling diamond earrings that complimented her engagement ring perfectly. Waverly looked Nicole’s hand, only to realize that she was no longer wearing her ring.

“Waves?” Wynonna asked.

Waverly put her intrigue on hold. “Yeah?”

“I think he’s asking if you’d like something to drink,” Wynonna said, gesturing to the server. “Or possibly something about Justin Bieber?”

Waverly had no sense of how long this poor man had been standing there. “Oh! _Discúlpame_. Um… _un saoco con hielo, por favor._ ”

“OooooOoh! What’s that?” Wynonna enquired.

“It’s rum, lime, coconut milk with a bit of cane sugar,” Waverly explained. “If it’s done right.”

“That sounds pretty solid,” Wynonna approved. “An _otro para moi_ ,” she requested in three different languages.

 _“¡Tres!”_ Nicole replied, “Do you want one too, Shae? I can count up to four in Spanish.”

“I’ll have a vodka and _agua con gas_ ,” Shae ordered. “No ice, _por favor_.”

 _“Y para usted señor?”_ The server looked to Henry.

 _“Dos Havana Club con hielo, por favor,”_ Henry said, returning the drink menu.

 _“A tus órdenes,”_ the waiter nodded before heading towards the door.

 _“¡Caballero!”_ Henry called to the server, _“Uno para mí y otro para tí,”_ he smiled pleasantly. The server laughed.

“I learned that at the Partagas Factory earlier today,” Henry boasted. “Turns out it is more of a hit with the gents than it is with the ladies.”

“How was the tour?” Nicole asked.

Wynonna interjected “Before the fire or after?”

“Whaaaat?” Waverly asked in shock.

“Not to worry,” Henry explained casually. “It was an intentional fire.”

“How is that any less worrisome?” Waverly asked, confused.

“Nature called,” Wynonna began, “I saw a placard that I thought was the washroom. I went in and there were two more doors. I walked through the first one. That’s when Henry came in after me to tell me that I had made several wrong turns. We tried to exit, but, the door behind us had locked. We were trapped in some boiler room.”

“So, all we could find were a mop and bucket,” Henry said holding back laughter.

“That were on impenetrable lockdown, apparently,” Wynonna added.

Henry took out a lighter from his pocket. “I grabbed my Zippo, lit the end of the broom handle, and blew out the flame when it started to smoke. I held it up to the detector and, within seconds, we were found!”

Wynonna nodded, “And that’s the story of how two foreigners got banned from the Partagas Factory.”

“Seriously?” Waverly asked in disbelief. “After all that, they didn’t let you sample any cigars?”

“How do you say ‘fire hazard’ in Spanish?” Wynonna asked. “I’m pretty sure that’s what they called us.”

Seeing Wynonna and Henry laughing together filled Waverly’s heart.

“Not to worry,” Nicole spoke up. “I picked up some cigars today. I brought enough for the whole class.”

Shae scoffed and excused herself to the Ladies’ room.

Wynonna looked to Nicole. “She alright?”

Nicole sighed. “Being a doctor and all, she’s not much of a smoker, not even occasionally.”

 _“Otro para mí!”_ Henry held his glass for another toast.


	9. This Isn't Working

After a full meal, the crew walked along a narrow sidewalk in a residential area. The houses were all barred with large metallic fences, many of which had dogs both big and small to protect them. A symphony of barks and howls erupted as they passed by.

Henry was teaching Wynonna how to blow doughnuts with her cigar smoke. Shae walked ahead of the group to distance herself from the fumes.

“Mine’s broken,” Waverly could not seem to get her cigarillo lit. Shaking it did not help either.

“You’re going to have to learn how to light a fire under any given circumstance,” Wynonna declared, “were you not listening over dinner?” She blew a doughnut in Waverly’s direction.

“I’m an Earp, not a girl scout,” Waverly defended.

“It might be too windy in this spot to light right now,” Nicole observed. “Follow me.” They both rounded the corner to find shelter from the breeze. “We’ll see if this is any better.”

Waverly held the cigarillo to her lips. Nicole leaned close. She flipped the lighter and shielded the dancing flame with her hand.

“Okay, now give it a short drag, but don't inhale,” Nicole instructed. The tip burned red instantaneously. “Perfect. Hold it for a moment before you exhale. You want to savor it, not swallow it.”

Waverly raised her eyebrow and Nicole began to laugh. A cloud of smoke rushed out of her own mouth when she could no longer contain her laughter. “You’re into women, right?” Waverly questioned in jest.

Nicole took a drag from her own cigar, eyes not leaving Waverly’s, "I can assure you, I am.”

“Taking in the sights?”

Waverly jumped. She must have completely been distracted to notice that Shae had followed them.

“It’s not much of a view, if you ask me.” Shae crossed her arms sizing up Waverly.

“Shae!” Nicole snapped back in offense. She turned to Waverly. “I’ll catch up with you all in a bit, alright?”

Waverly nodded. “Yeah, of course,” she said as she turned the corner. Waverly felt embarrassed and undeserving of Shae’s criticism. She did her best to keep her emotions in check.

“So… what? Are you sleeping with her?” she overheard Shae accuse Nicole with perfect clarity.

Waverly froze in her tracks. The sunglasses that were hanging from the V-neck of her dress fell to the pavement. She looked around for Wynonna and Henry and saw them walking about two and a half blocks ahead.

“What?!” Nicole sounded flabbergasted. “No. Of course not.”

“But, you want to.” Shae said, as if stating a fact.

There was no audible answer.

“We tried, Shae.” Nicole finally said, exasperated. “This layover was a last-ditch effort, but, honestly, I can’t stand this anymore. When you stopped going to counseling –”

“I told you,” Shae interjected, “those last two counselors were never on my side. Once we get married—”

The desperation in Nicole’s voice quivered, “This isn’t working. Marriage isn’t going to fix this! Don’t you see that?”

There was a lengthy silence. Waverly was riveted by their conversation. Henry and Wynonna had already circled back and were now walking towards her. Waverly crouched to the ground and grabbed the sunglasses. She took her time dusting them off as she listened.

“I changed to be everything you wanted me to be.” Shae continued. “I have even tried to get along with your friends, but apparently that’s not good enough for you.”

“Have you really though?” Nicole questioned.

“What?” Shae sounded caught off guard.

“Tried to get along with my friends,” Nicole clarified. “What’s her name?”

“Who?” Shae asked.

“The youngest Earp sister,” Nicole’s voice did not falter. “What is her name?”

“Since when is she a friend??” Shae demanded. “You only just met yesterday.”

Waverly waited with bated breath. She could not hear Nicole’s response. Wynonna and Henry were now less than half a block away and she was not able to stall any longer. She held up her sunglasses and waved them above her head. She began walking toward Henry and Wynonna to get out of earshot of the arguing couple.

“I had my sunglasses clipped to my dress and they must have fallen,” Waverly announced.

“Those are _my_ sunglasses,” Wynonna pointed out.

“Perhaps,” Waverly admitted. “But, they look much better on me, don’t you think?” She put them on for effect.

Wynonna reached for Waverly’s side to make her flinch.

“Where are the other two?” Henry asked.

“Oh. Uh?” Waverly looked back. “Nicole said they would catch up with us.”

Wynonna shook her head. “Those horn-dogs.”

“I don’t know about that.” Waverly remarked.

Wynonna raised her eyebrow at Waverly’s comment, but, kept quiet.

They had only walked a few blocks before they heard jogging footsteps in their pursuit. Nicole had caught up with them. “Hey!”

Henry looked back. “Where is Shae?”

“She went back to the hotel.” Nicole caught her breath. “Where are y’all headed?”

“Well, my immediate plan is to drink my face off and dance,” Wynonna declared. “Exactly in that order.”

“Alright!” Nicole nodded. “I know just the place.”


	10. Fall Together

The bouncer studied Waverly’s passport carefully before waving her in. Pop art images of John Lennon, Madonna and Freddy Mercury decorated the walls in splashes of neon green and blue. The bass and drumbeat of timba music echoed throughout the building. A DJ bobbed in time to the music, while dancers in drag delighted the crowd below their stage. 

Nicole led the crew and signaled that they follow her. She held up four fingers and discretely handed the hostess some folded bills. The hostess smiled and guided them to a booth that was slightly elevated from the dancefloor and had a clear view of the stage. Four glasses, napkins, a bottle of rum, and some mixers had been pre-set on the table. A server came by with a fresh bucket of ice.

“Haught, how many pretty pesos is this going to cost?” Wynonna asked examining the bottle of Havana Club.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nicole said, “it’s on me!”

Wynonna passed around the glasses. “Well, cheers to you, First Officer Moneybags!”

Waverly reached for the ice bucket. Nicole’s phone vibrated right next to her glass as a couple of cubes fell from the tongs. Shae’s name lit up on the screen. Nicole quickly grabbed the phone and silenced it. A giant elephant may as well have sauntered into the booth to take a seat. Waverly was reluctant to bring it up, though her curiosity got the best of her. “How’s Shae?”

“She’s...” Nicole looked back down at her phone, “notably pissed.” She downed the rest of her drink. “Because we broke up.”

Waverly spilled some of the mixer she had been pouring. “Oh.” The moment had caught her off guard. “I’m really sorry.” She said automatically, not processing whether she truly felt those words.

“I am too.” Nicole put her phone away. “And I’m kind of not,” she added as she topped up her glass.

A large ice cube in Waverly’s drink cracked, causing an audible shift among the contents of the glass. Waverly watched the lime wedge plunge into the rest of the drink. “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

Nicole nodded. “Deep. That could be a Hallmark card,” Nicole said with a laugh before taking another swig.

“She did a lot of things, but I don’t know that Marilyn Monroe wrote for Hallmark,” Waverly smiled.

Nicole sighed. “I hear what you’re saying, but I’d rather not talk about Shae and just have fun tonight, like those two” she said gesturing to Henry and Wynonna.

Wynonna sat affectionately close to Henry and laughed at his story while he played with the hair that cascaded down her back.

Nicole shook her head. “This is why flight attendants are at risk around pilots; you can’t resist our charm!”

Waverly laughed, “Trust me, we are aware of what goes on during layovers and we find your secret second families entirely resistible.”

“Ouch!” Nicole waved her hand as if having touched a hot stove, “That is a serious burn, Earp!” She laughed. “Hashtag: NotAllPilots.”

Waverly laughed.

“Hey Cap’n!” Nicole called out, “How many secret families do you have?”

Henry looked puzzled.

“You know, a woman at every port?” Nicole winked at Waverly.

Henry rolled up his sleeves. “First Officer Haught, believe me when I say that I can barely keep up with one woman, never mind several women around the world. Besides, I am terrible at remembering anniversaries."

Wynonna looked back at Henry, perplexed. “Wait, so you’re saying that gift management is what’s keeping you monogamous?”

Henry shrugged and poured a bit more rum in everyone’s glass.

Waverly took another sip. She looked over at the carefree crowd dancing in a laser show of multicoloured lights. There was something both sensual and enticing about the Cuban rhythm. Waverly spotted a pair of women dancing close, desire clearly written in their moves. The song slowly evolved into a new beat, and the crowd cheered in recognition.

“Oh my god, I love this song!” Wynonna yelled in excitement. She got up from her seat and pulled Henry out of his.

“Since when?” Waverly asked in disbelief.

“Since three drinks ago,” Wynonna swayed. “Come on, let’s dance!”

Waverly smoothed out her dress as stood from her seat. Only then did she feel the buzz of rum coursing through her.

Wynonna dragged both pilots onto the dancefloor. The space was packed, but they managed to squeeze in. Wynonna threw her arms around Henry which had him completely entranced. Waverly ran her fingers through her hair and let her body sway to the rhythm. She quickly noticed that Nicole looked a bit stiff.

“I’m... not much of a dancer,” Nicole admitted. “I think I am going to sit this one out.”

Before Nicole could turn back to the booth, Waverly reached for her hand. “It’s easier than flying a plane, trust me.” Her confidence boosted by the Mojitos.

Nicole looked back at Waverly with an endearing smile.

Waverly instinctively guided Nicole’s hands to her lower back; the contact was absolutely thrilling. Nicole beamed as Waverly wrapped her arms around her neck. Having Nicole this close to her felt right. She looked up and met Nicole’s gaze and lost her breath. In that moment, she knew Nicole wanted her. It would be so easy to kiss her right now. Instead, the pair moved in sync; each measure bringing them undeniably closer.

In the distance, Waverly saw that Henry had followed Wynonna back to the booth. The pair sat close. Waverly’s heart swelled at the thought of them getting back together. She was surprised that her sister was actually taking their pact seriously. Waverly herself hardly needed an excuse to keep up her end of the deal.

Nicole must have noticed Waverly looking back at their booth. “We can go back if you’d like. Unless you have something else in mind?” Nicole’s words buried themselves pleasantly in Waverly’s stomach.

“I do,” Waverly smirked as she grabbed Nicole’s hand, guiding her off the dance floor.

Without knowing where she was going, Waverly headed toward a dimly lit opening at the back of the room. As they approached, they discovered a long hallway off the kitchen. Waverly moved quickly, twisting every doorknob they passed, all of which were locked. They went down a short flight of stairs.

Nicole managed to keep up. “Where are you taking me, Earp?”

At the bottom, there was a door that was slightly ajar. Waverly pushed it open carefully and walked in. It was pitch black.

Nicole used the dim light from her phone to scope out their surroundings as they entered. The walls were lined with stacked cases of beer and wine, creating a mini labyrinth. Suddenly, Nicole yelped. The phone’s light bounced on the floor as Nicole fell to the ground with a thud.

“Oh my God, are you alright?” Waverly looked back.

Nicole was laughing hysterically. She had tripped over a case.

Waverly knelt next to Nicole, “Does anything hurt?”

“Just my pride,” Nicole laughed some more as Waverly helped her up off the floor. Her phone was left behind on the ground. The dim light was enough to illuminate their immediate surroundings.

Nicole’s eyes pierced through any inhibitions. Waverly felt no other choice but to act. She reached out to caress Nicole’s cheek, her thumb brushing over her lips. She closed the gap, her stomach coiling pleasantly at the feel of Nicole’s kiss. 

Nicole ran her hands through Waverly’s long hair, leaving her willingly inert to the risk of their actions; the momentum was too enticing to resist.

As Waverly’s legs buckled, Nicole gently lifted her atop a nearby crate.

Waverly wasted no time and wrapped her legs tight around Nicole’s waist as she melted into their kiss. A slow and steady hand slid up Waverly’s dress and felt refreshingly cool against her warm skin.

With her forehead resting against Nicole’s, she felt every movement with intensity. She panted as Nicole brought her closer to the edge. She opened her eyes to see Nicole admiring her with lust and awe.

Her hand held the back of Nicole’s neck while the other caressed her face. Waverly had never felt so intimately connected to someone. She shut her eyes and surrendered all control.


End file.
